Detectives have made an arrest in the death of a Gibsonton father whose body was found in shallow grave in Ruskin.
The body of Octavio Reyes, 36, was discovered in a wooded area off U.S. 41 near the Little Manatee River on Saturday. Javier L. Bermudez Jr., 20, has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery.
According to detectives, Reyes was reportedly last seen by a family member leaving a Wal-Mart in Gibsonton on August 30 at approximately 10 p.m. His family said he was supposed to meet up with friends at Club 301 that night, but never showed up.
Early the next morning, a 2000 Ford F-150 pick up truck was discovered burning in an empty lot on Shell Point Road in Ruskin. As a result of the fire, the truck's identification numbers and tag were severely damaged.
Detectives listed Reyes as missing and his information was entered in the state and national computer bank for missing persons.
On September 5, the burned F-150 pick up truck was determined to belong to Reyes and his missing status was upgraded to missing and endangered.
During the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Reyes, detectives learned that Reyes was possibly the victim of a robbery and possibly killed and buried somewhere in Ruskin.
On September 13, detectives began searching a wooded area along U.S 41 S. near the Little Manatee River in Ruskin where they located a shallow grave with human remains, which were later identified as belonging to Octavio Reyes.
Detectives eventually identified Javier Bermudez Jr. as a suspect.
Once in custody, Bermudez told detectives during an interview that on August 30, at approximately 10:15 p.m., he ambushed Reyes at a residence in Ruskin, robbed, kidnapped and then severely beat him.
Bermudez stated that Reyes was then buried along U.S. 41 S. and his vehicle was then taken to the empty lot on Shell Point Road and burned.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the official cause of death of Octavio Reyes as homicidal violence. Bermudez was booked into the Orient Road Jail and is currently being held without bail.
Rosario Reyes, Octavio’s wife, said during an interview before the arrest that their six children are too young to understand that their father is never comng home.
“I want that person, whoever did it, not to sleep ever, ever again," she said. "For him to see what he left. He left these kids without a father.”
Family members say Octavio had been in living in Ft. Lauderdale, but was in between construction jobs and spending a few weeks in Riverview.
“He was dedicated to his kids, all the way,” said Rosario. “I want whoever did this in jail, forever.”
The couple is separated.